Ox was twelve when his daddy taught him a very valuable lesson. He said that Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left.

Ox was sixteen when he met the boy on the road, the boy who talked and talked and talked. Ox found out later the boy hadn’t spoken in almost two years before that day, and that the boy belonged to a family who had moved into the house at the end of the lane.

Ox was seventeen when he found out the boy’s secret, and it painted the world around him in colors of red and orange and violet, of Alpha and Beta and Omega.

Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his head and heart. The boy chased after the monster with revenge in his bloodred eyes, leaving Ox behind to pick up the pieces.

It’s been three years since that fateful day—and the boy is back. Except now he’s a man, and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.

Crying in the first 10% is always a good sign. I love T.J. and he did a shifter story has made me so freaking ecstatic!!! I love his writing, and I always refer to him as two writing settings. It’s either humor, or serious. I love the serious side more. I would categorize this as serious. It had its funny moments, but overall between the tears, tears, tears and the AMOUNT of ANGST it was a ridiculously good shifter story. I don’t know much more to say then what everyone else is raving about.

“Rawr and grr and kaboom?”
“And the smells!” he cried.
“Can’t forget about those,” the man next to her said faintly. “Candy canes and pine cones and epic awesome.”

It’s a really good story, and by now if you are use to T.J. and his stories you know he’s long winded. Sometimes it is repetitive. I’d like to think he does it to invoke certain emotions in us during that scene. Or that is how I like to state to myself. His writing is great as usual, and I like the spurts of humor that’s involved in it. These are some really great characters. Ox and Joe have wiggled their way into my heart through love,anger and loyalty. I can say this has been one of the most physical books from T.J. He doesn’t do passion, and steamy sex. I’m fine with that, because I love his stories, but this was a different side to him. I really liked it.

I won’t go on and on about my utter disdain for the separation between the two. Some times people need to separate in order to make it last in the long run. But J.H.Christ, I literally felt like I was dying. It was such an emotional moment for me. The tale that T.J wove was so different from other shifter stories, but has some of the classic originals that I love. The entire mate trope is a favorite of mine, and seeing Joe & Ox at a young age until they got older was anguish on my part but so much love throughout the end. I really am stuck for words, so many people have loved this already and everything that I can say is most likely already done. I loved all the characters, I even liked the cheesy cartoon villain and his nerve for extended monologues. I’ve highlighted the crap out of this book. I think the quote above has stuck with me the most. It’s the most coolest way to describe someone you are destined to be. I will say bring tissues!!! Lot’s of Kleenex but you go through an emotional journey as usual reading his books. I love him for it.

About TJ Klune

When TJ Klune was eight, he picked up a pen and paper and began to write his first story (which turned out to be his own sweeping epic version of the video game Super Metroid—he didn’t think the game ended very well and wanted to offer his own take on it. He never heard back from the video game company, much to his chagrin). Now, two decades later, the cast of characters in his head have only gotten louder, wondering why he has to go to work as a claims examiner for an insurance company during the day when he could just stay home and write.

He lives with a neurotic cat in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. It’s hot there, but he doesn’t mind. He dreams about one day standing at Stonehenge, just so he can say he did.